Physicians' services priced at $20 in 1981 $100.25 in 2025

Physicians' Services Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Physicians' Services, 1981-2025 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for physicians' services are 401.25% higher in 2025 versus 1981 (a $80.25 difference in value).

Between 1981 and 2025: Physicians' services experienced an average inflation rate of 3.73% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, physicians' services costing $20 in the year 1981 would cost $100.25 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.89% during this same period, inflation for physicians' services was higher.

In the year 1981: Pricing changed by 11.01%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for physicians' services during the 1981-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1981 (10.33%), inflation for physicians' services was higher.

Price Inflation for Physicians' services since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1975 (12.30%), 1976 (11.27%), and 1981 (11.01%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1981

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Physicians' services, over time, for $20 beginning in 1981. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1981$20.0011.01%
1982$21.889.38%
1983$23.577.73%
1984$25.216.96%
1985$26.685.84%
1986$28.617.22%
1987$30.727.36%
1988$32.927.18%
1989$35.347.35%
1990$37.887.19%
1991$40.155.98%
1992$42.676.28%
1993$45.055.59%
1994$47.054.43%
1995$49.184.54%
1996$50.963.62%
1997$52.493.00%
1998$54.052.96%
1999$55.592.85%
2000$57.623.66%
2001$59.743.67%
2002$61.382.75%
2003$63.042.70%
2004$65.543.96%
2005$67.713.30%
2006$68.751.54%
2007$71.423.89%
2008$73.332.67%
2009$75.563.05%
2010$78.043.27%
2011$80.152.71%
2012$81.802.06%
2013$83.411.97%
2014$84.581.39%
2015$86.221.95%
2016$89.053.28%
2017$89.520.53%
2018$89.610.10%
2019$90.260.73%
2020$91.831.74%
2021$95.754.26%
2022$97.021.33%
2023$97.170.16%
2024$98.431.30%
2025$100.251.84%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.


Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Physicians' services:

Year1935193619371938193919401941194219431944194519461947194819491950195119521953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
CPI11.10011.20011.20011.20011.20011.20011.30011.50012.30012.80013.10013.70014.65015.22015.48015.72016.32017.04017.48018.02018.60019.16020.04020.66021.36021.92022.48023.12023.64024.26725.17526.64028.52030.10032.06934.46236.86938.00839.26242.85448.12353.54658.50063.36969.17776.49284.91592.885100.069107.038113.285121.469130.415139.785150.054160.838170.462181.162191.285199.762208.823216.377222.869229.477236.023244.654253.638260.623267.662278.269287.462291.900303.242311.342320.831331.330340.301347.306354.161359.097366.082378.082380.086380.451383.228389.900406.528411.927412.581417.930425.637

Adjust physicians' services prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2025 / CPI in 1981 * 1981 USD value = 2025 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Physicians' services was 84.915 in the year 1981 and 425.637 in 2025:

425.637 / 84.915 * $20 = $100.25

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1981 has the same "purchasing power" as $100.25 in 2025 (in the CPI category of Physicians' services).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Physicians' services in 1935. In addition to physicians' services, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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